The cold winter months are full of illness and potential injury from slipping and falling on ice. It’s important to continue prioritizing your health throughout the craziness of the holidays. AFC Urgent Care Burlington is here to provide you and your loved ones with the urgent medical care you need. We provide diagnosis and treatment for illnesses, injury treatment, and additional patient resources to stay healthy. Don’t waste time waiting in the emergency room when you can receive fast, quality care at AFC Burlington.
Wash your Hands
Washing your hands is an easy way to avoid illness throughout the winter season, especially flu season. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we learned the importance of general hygiene to prevent any major illnesses. Be sure to wash your hands for at least 20 seconds each time to help rid your hands of any germs.
This is especially important when cooking, which we will get into next. Avoid any cross-contamination by washing your hands frequently in between foods.
Practice Food Safety
Food safety means a lot of things, and it can apply to any part of the process. This is an important thing to be mindful of to avoid food-borne illnesses for the entire family.
As mentioned previously, it’s important to wash your hands frequently while preparing any food. Be sure to wipe down counters and cutting boards when handling raw meats and poultry.
While cooking foods, be sure to cook the meat to its proper internal temperature. This helps avoid consuming undercooked meals and cooks of bacteria.
Lastly, foods should be put away and refrigerated within two hours of consumption. All leftovers should be stored correctly in Tupperware, and any food left out overnight should be disposed of.
Maintain Healthy Decisions
It can be easy to let loose during the holiday season, but maintaining healthy decisions is as important as ever. This includes avoiding smoking and secondhand smoke. Cigarettes are a leading contributing factor to cancer, and you do not want to pick up on a bad habit during the holidays.
Additionally, it can be easy to drink alcohol in excess with family and friends you have not seen in a while. While alcohol in moderation is okay, try to avoid it in excess this holiday.
Lastly, similar to alcohol, it can be easy to overindulge yourself in sweets and food in general. Be sure to include as many vegetables in your meal as possible, and avoid eating too many sweets. Sugar and unhealthy fats can be harmful to your body over time.
Don’t Drink and Drive
Likely the most important aspect on this list, please do not drink and drive. Driving drunk puts everyone on the road in danger, not just yourself. When getting in the car, be sure you and everyone present have their seatbelts properly fastened.
All children in booster seats or car seats should have harnesses properly placed for their safety. Babies and small children in seats with harnesses should not have their winter coats on underneath their seatbelts. Place a blanket over them in the car to keep them warm.
